&,,&&&&&,&                                          &&,&&,,,&,
&,&,&&&&,&                                          ,&,,&,,&&,
&,&,,&&&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&             #,,,--------,,,#             ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&     ####,-- fermi's paradox --,####      ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&             #,,,--------,,,#             ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& on earth (the  planet  where  i live)  a ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& lot of us  have  antennas on our  houses ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& or   balconies,  we  have  built   large ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& antennas  for larger  bandwith, we  have ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&      build specialized antennaes for     ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&   specific wavelengths (and sent them    ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& into orbit),  we've built large  as fuck ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&              antenna arrays              ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& we've virtually built  an antenna with a ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&         dish as large as earth.          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& we've learned about  our position in the ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&      solar system, our solar systems     ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& placement   in  the   galaxy,   and  our ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& galaxys placement in  the local cluster, ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& and  -our- local  clusters  place in the ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&          grand scheme of things          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& and  we're  moving  around  the  sun  at ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& velocity and the suns moving  around the ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& center  of  the  galaxy at velocity  and ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& the galaxy  is moving  toward  andromeda ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&    and we're both moving anticlockwise   ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& around the galaxy. and  we  as a species ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& have learned to take all that in account ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& and despite  all  this, despite  all our ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&   (cliche) beaming of fucking stellar    ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& radio programmes  out  in fucking  space ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& at  the speed  of  light (light  is  our ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& medium! goodspeed you, black emperor!),  ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&      despite ghosts helping and the      ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&     collective consciousness lowpass     ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&   filtering, despite our very obvious    ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& beaming of  all  our  secrets  in  every ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&          direction known to us,          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& no   ,    one    ,   has   ,    answered ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&             #,,,--------,,,#             ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&      ####,-- fermi's paradox --,####     ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&             #,,,--------,,,#             ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&             so why is that?              ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& most  opponents to  intelligent  life in ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& the  universe say it's  because you need ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& a  class  one-or-the-other star and  the ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& planet  needs  to  be  at  a  see-and-so ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& distance away  from the star (like there ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&           has to be a planet!)           ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& but  really   isn't   that  keeping  the ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&      definition of life really lax?      ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& i think everyone agrees that we  have no ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& idea what  we're doing (and  it probably ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                  shows)                  ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&             #,,,--------,,,#             ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&      ####,-- fermi's paradox --,####     ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&             #,,,--------,,,#             ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& i'm gonna go  smoke  my  third cigarette ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& this  year and try to  snatch some beers ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&         from the local beer thing        ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&&,&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,&,